Doomed Confessionary: Ángel Olañeta Rosales (Blue Merrow)
Blue Merrow is a psych blues/progressive rock band founded in September 2019 in Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain).
With influences from groups from the late sixties and early seventies, the result is a musical space with no other limitation than that defined by the band’s soloists: organ & guitar.
Blue Merrow consists of Ángel Olañeta Rosales (guitar, backing vocals), Ángel Vejo Gamero (keyboards), Damián Garrido Portela (vocals, percussion), Diego Hernán Ruiz (bass, acoustic guitar) and Alberto Cid Casalderrey (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Well, the general nature of the question makes it a bit difficult to answer. Blue Merrow was formed at the end of 2019 by the following members: Ángel Olañeta, myself, on guitar; Damián Garrido on vocals; Ángel Vejo on keyboards; Alberto Cid on drums; and Diego Hernán on bass. For two years, we focused on rehearsing, composing, connecting as musicians, and recording. In January 2022, we released our self-titled debut album.
Since then, we haven’t stopped working. We’ve continued rehearsing, refining the songs from the album, which have evolved over time and with practice. We’ve also performed in a variety of settings: venues, pubs, festivals, plazas, and local celebrations. These experiences have helped us grow as a live band and provide a more polished and engaging experience for our audience.
At Blue Merrow, we strive to create music that feels like an experience, rather than just a collection of songs. We draw inspiration from a broad range of classic and contemporary progressive rock and hard rock bands, such as Camel, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Eloy, Nektar, and many others. We’re also influenced by other genres, as we’re passionate music lovers in every sense. What drives us most is the way certain works manage to combine technical skill with deep emotional resonance – the balance between craftsmanship and the power to convey something meaningful. That’s the essence we aim to bring to our music.
Finally, since late 2024, we’ve been immersed in the composition of our second album, which we hope to release soon, perhaps by the end of this year or in 2026, though it’s still hard to predict. Additionally, we’ve welcomed a new bassist, David Gándara Kapas, who has brought fresh energy to the project.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
I think the biggest challenge for Blue Merrow has been finding a balance between our personal lives and our dedication to the band. As musicians, we all have commitments outside of music, whether work, studies or family, and making those worlds coexist with the discipline that a project like this requires is not always easy.
Another important challenge has been defining our identity as a band. We are influenced by so many musical trends and styles that finding a sound that is true to who we are as a group, but at the same time has something unique to offer, has been a long and thoughtful process. Furthermore, recording our first album was a constant learning process, from dealing with the expectations we set for ourselves to overcoming the technical limitations of a first project. Now, with the second project, we have new and better goals, making music (creating) should always be a challenge.
Finally, like many young bands, making our way in the music scene also has its challenges. It’s not just about playing well, but also about connecting with the audience, making a place for yourself in some kind of artistic and cultural environment or scene, and getting them to listen to you. defending our music and the way we make it, given the current musical situation and artistic creation in general, both locally, nationally and internationally, it is about growing little by little, artisanally, in an environment not only very competitive, but rather it plays against you.
What can you be most proud of so far?
I think what we’re most proud of so far is the journey we’ve been on as a band – both individually and collectively. Releasing our first album was about discovering who we are as musicians and channeling that into something tangible that we could share with the world.
We’re also proud of how we’ve grown as performers. Over time, we’ve refined our live shows, creating a more cohesive and immersive experience for our audience. connect with people who resonate with our music is incredibly rewarding.
Lastly, I’d say we’re proud of the fact that we’ve stayed true to ourselves. In a world that often pushes for trends and shortcuts, we’ve taken our time to craft something meaningful.
What was your biggest regret?
Our biggest regret, if you can call it that, might be the moments when we let doubt or external pressures throw us into impulsive decisions, or held us back, on the other hand, from making the best use of the band’s time and resources. Perhaps this is the root of many of our regrets.
There were times when we chose to record instead of continuing to compose, or to play live instead of rehearsing, and vice versa. All of these moments are critical because they shape the direction the band will take over time.
There were also times when we doubted our ideas or delayed decisions because we wanted everything to be perfect. At other times, we’ve made bold moves and ended up losing money or doing work that didn’t pay off.
However, despite the complexity of these situations, they often teach you the most valuable lessons. There’s nothing more instructive than experience. In the end, those moments of hesitation have driven us to trust ourselves more, to embrace the process, the imperfections, and to focus on making music that feels genuine, rather than over-calculated.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
The best gig so far has been one of those where you just feel like everything fell together perfectly. It was not necessarily the largest in terms of audience, nor the most media-friendly, but it was one where the connection with the audience was so genuine that it felt like a shared experience.
An example of one of those concerts was when we played in Santiago de Compostela, in front of the cathedral, at the Feito a Man festival in the summer of 2024; or the concert at the San Miguel de Oia auditorium in Vigo (Galicia, Spain) in 2023, among many others. What made these concerts so special was the feeling that we weren’t just playing our songs, but that we were creating something together with the audience.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
I think our music is a form of resistance, both in the product and in the process. We usually have great experiences when we play: with the audience, the people we meet and become friends with, the businesses and venues we get to know, the cities we travel to… However, something I take away from the music scene, aside from having fun, is the awareness that the artist, the craftsman, and especially the musician, are not the owners of their work, and the little value placed on their profession and their knowledge. The music scene often works against the traditional musician and the type of music that aims to do something simply different, perhaps more worked and thoughtful.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
In the band, collectively, we are trying to introduce jazz sounds and patterns, with greater variations and more complexity, also incorporating more percussion such as congas, bongos, or djembes… We are also trying to step back a bit and experiment more with sounds and musical forms, giving more prominence to synthesizers and effects, etc. Personally, I always keep listening to my classics, like Camel, Genesis, Purple, Yes, PFM (Premiata Forniera Marconi), and similar bands. On the other hand, I find myself in a couple of weeks where I’ve been listening to a lot of disco, disco jazz, and funk: Kool and the Gang, Ronald Byrd, The Commodores, Heatwave…
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
There is a great array of advice and phrases in the common heritage, but I will stick with one from Aristotle, in Nicomachean Ethics: “The art of music, like any other skill, requires patience, persistence, and a mind that refuses to give in to frustration.” And perhaps this one from Seneca, in his Dialogue on the Shortness of Life: “It is in repetition that the musician discovers his capacity to innovate.” Great old advices.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I understand “guilty pleasure” as songs or bands that might be embarrassing to listen to. Perhaps synth pop or retro waves in electronic music. Then, pop hits that one despises but still linger in memory, with some choruses or verses occasionally resurfacing in your head (like maybe Robbie Williams or things like that). But I have to say, nothing current.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Spain?
Honestly, I despise the current music scene in many ways. The artists who often have visibility in my country are not usually great artists. I divide them into two categories: on one hand, there are those who are backed by a discourse, an ideology, often implicit but sometimes blatant, that is complacent with power and institutions, and they receive favor from them. On the other hand, there are those who claim to make (but don’t really make) music that is so hollow it means nothing and simply serves to entertain: fast food. These two categories are compounded by a postmodern notion of art that places the musician and the music at the very bottom of the hierarchy.
In Spain, this logic of music as a medium, not as the end, of the Anglo-Saxon and postmodern music industry, mixed with Latin music and urban genres, leads to seeing true mediocrity under the names of “innovation” or “originality.” There are amazing and talented bands and musical groups, like in jazz, experimental music, etc., but they are not seen, nor will they ever be seen.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Since November 2024, when we played our last show in A Coruña (Galicia, Spain) – a sort of private recording session -, we’ve been fully focused on composing our second album. Our plan for 2025 is to keep a lighter concert schedule so we can dedicate as much time as possible to creating new music and exploring fresh ideas as a band.
That said, we do have one special date coming up: we’ll be performing at Hydra Fest, which will take place in Vigo (Galicia, Spain) on April 4th and 5th. It’s shaping up to be an exciting event where, perhaps, we’ll offer a glimpse of what we’ve been working on!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Our plans for the future as a band revolve primarily around continuing to create and evolve. In the short term, we are fully focused on composing and recording our second album, a project where we aim to explore new sounds, experiment with more complex structures and dynamics, and deepen our musical identity.
Beyond that, we’d love to bring our music to more stages and connect with new audiences, both within and outside of Spain. While we are prioritizing creation this year, we’re not ruling out performing at select events that allow us to share our work and maintain that special connection that only live performances can offer.
In the long term, our goal is to grow as artists, both individually and collectively. We want to keep learning, taking risks, and staying true to our essence, avoiding easy or repetitive formulas. The idea is to build a solid and authentic trajectory, driven by our passion for music and respect for what we do.
How can people best support your band?
The best way people can support our band is by listening to our music and sharing it with friends, family, or on their social media. It also helps us a lot when they attend our concerts, especially if we’re in their city or nearby, because there’s nothing like the energy and connection that’s created in a live performance.
Additionally, following us on social media or subscribing to our streaming platforms makes a huge difference. Every little gesture, from a “like” to a comment or sharing a link, helps get our music to more people.
If they want to take it a step further, buying our albums and merchandise is a direct way to support us. Not only does this help us fund future projects, but it also motivates us to keep creating and exploring our music.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Our message to everyone, both those who already know us and those who don’t yet, is simple: thank you for being here, for being part of this musical journey with us. If you haven’t heard us yet, we invite you to listen. Our music is a reflection of our passion for creating something authentic, and we’re always looking for new ways to connect with the emotions and experiences of those who listen to us.
Every time you listen to our music, every time you share a song or come to a concert, you’re helping us continue to create and explore new ideas. Music, for us, is more than just entertainment or a product.
So, if you haven’t yet heard what we do, we encourage you to give us a chance. Listen to our songs, follow us on social media, and if any of our compositions resonate with you, we’d be thrilled to have you join our community. We’re on this journey together, and we look forward to growing with you all!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well